On January 2, a capsule was laid at the Holoskiv Cemetery to mark the beginning of construction for a crematorium. This event signifies the start of preparatory works, including clearing the site and demolishing old buildings. The crematorium is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

In 2021, the Lviv Municipal Ritual Service received the mandate to oversee the construction of the crematorium on the territory of Holoskiv Cemetery in Lviv. To fund the project, the Municipal Ritual Service plans to secure a loan of UAH 60 million. This decision was supported during a session of the Lviv City Council in July 2024.

The crematorium in Lviv will be built in three phases. Today marks the official beginning of the first phase, which includes clearing the territory and dismantling old structures. The second phase involves constructing the crematorium building itself and installing equipment, including two furnaces, each capable of handling 10 cremations daily. The final phase will focus on arranging the farewell hall, auxiliary facilities, and other necessary structures. The total cost of the crematorium, including equipment, is estimated at around UAH 200 million.

The winning design was created by an authorial team of Pavlo Zabotin, Liubov Kopeikina, Viktor Kopeikin, and Olena Kobets, in collaboration with the local studio “Zmist.” This team of architects, originally from Mariupol, is currently based in Berlin.

The crematorium’s design is minimalistic, featuring a square structure measuring 40 by 40 meters (1,600 square meters). Additionally, a columbarium park is planned, which will be implemented in later phases.

The need for a crematorium in Lviv is driven by the following factors:

• Limited cemetery space: Lviv has restricted areas available for new cemeteries, and expanding existing ones is challenging due to dense urban development and limited land availability.
• Environmental benefits: Cremation is a more environmentally friendly option than traditional burials, reducing the impact on soil, groundwater, and air.
• Cost efficiency: Cremation and the burial of urns with ashes are significantly less expensive than traditional burial methods.

According to the Lviv Municipal Ritual Service, urns with ashes will allow for substantial space savings. In the area required for one traditional burial, up to 20 urns with ashes can be placed.

Currently, crematoriums in Ukraine operate in Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv, but they use outdated furnaces. Lviv will introduce the first modern furnace in the country.